COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) .../... supplementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council with detailed rules and procedures on the acceptance of air traffi...

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 23.5.2025 C(2025) 3114 final COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) …/... of 23.5.2025 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council with detailed rules and procedures on the acceptance of air traffic controller licences and certificates issued by third countries. EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 1. CONTEXT OF THE DELEGATED ACT The Report of the Wise Persons Group (1) identified the lack of flexibility in air traffic controller (ATCO) staffing levels in the European Union (EU) as one of the factors that restrict the scalable capacity of the European ATM system. The acceptance of third-country ATCO licences is not covered by the current ATCO Regulation (2). However, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Basic Regulation (3) (Regulation (EU) 2018/1139) and, in particular, its Article 68, empowers the Commission to adopt delegated acts with regard to the acceptance of certificates and other documentation attesting to compliance with civil aviation rules issued in accordance with the laws of a third country and ensuring an equivalent level of safety to that provided for in that Regulation. This act also responds to certain comments received during the public consultation of NPA 2021-08 (4) that suggested the application of the principles and methodology established for the crediting and/or conversion of military licences also to other types of national and international...